


I Want Much More

by RoonilWazlibMalfoy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Evil Author Day, Fairy Tale Retellings, M/M, Not Beta Read, Unrequited Lust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoonilWazlibMalfoy/pseuds/RoonilWazlibMalfoy
Summary: Lucius Malfoy was a proud man with no compassion. James Potter wanted Severus. Both of them were about to get more than they'd bargained for.Severus just wanted so much more than a provincial life.
Relationships: James Potter/Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy/Severus Snape
Comments: 12
Kudos: 84
Collections: Evil Author Musings





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this AU in my head for quite a while and this much of it has been sitting in my Google docs for nearly a year, so I thought Evil Authors Day was a perfect time to bring it out. This is an unbeta'd rough draft and, being incomplete, it was rather difficult to tag, but if there is some interest, I may try to find time to work on it in the not too distant future. 
> 
> It really isn't giving anything away to say that Severus/Lucius is end game here or that James/Severus is unrequited. Everyone knows this story line, just not the twists that I have in mind for it. But it doesn't all play out here. Not yet, anyway.

_ Many years ago, there lived a young Lord. His hair shone like silver and his face was radiantly beautiful. His Manor home was large and lovely; the grounds were expansive, filled with fruit trees, flowers, and white peacocks. He had servants to attend to his every need and he was widely respected throughout the land. _

_ The one thing he lacked, however, was love. _

_ One night a wizened old man came to visit him at his home. The man's clothes were tattered and his beard was long and dirty. He begged the young Lord for a place to spend the night, but the only thing he had to pay with was a single white lily.  _

_ Laughing cruelly, the young Lord turned him away. The old man warned him not to be hasty, that there were powers in the world that he could not dream of, but still the Lord rejected him.  _

_ Suddenly, the old man's eyes began to twinkle, his ragged robes morphed into glittering purple ones, his beard became clean and white, and he revealed himself to be… well, actually he was still just an old man. He was a much cleaner and nicer-smelling one though.  _

_ The young Lord immediately tried to apologize, to welcome the old man into his home. He had great respect for someone with such obvious wealth and power. But the old man told him that it was too late.  _

_ "I am sorry, my boy. You've made your decision," he said kindly, his blue eyes still twinkling. "I do hope that someday you will learn where true power lies: in love." _

_ The Lord began changing then. His pale hair grew until it covered his body, his teeth and nails grew long and sharp. Even his Manor home became overgrown and wild, his beautiful peacocks all turned to cats and his servants to grotty-looking little elves.  _

_ The old man gave him the lily then, which he sadly accepted in a clawed hand. "If you can learn to love before this lily dies, everything will go back to what it was before, but better for you will have love to share it with. If not," the man said apologetically, "I'm afraid you'll be trapped like this forever." _

_ With a pop, the old man disappeared as quickly as he'd arrived. The young Lord roared in rage and sorrow. For how could anyone ever learn to love a beast? _

◇○◇○◇○◇

Severus Snape stepped out of his little cottage home and breathed in the fresh morning air of the countryside. The sun shone brightly, warm on his skin. He curled his bare toes in the dew-damp grass, watching the chickens as they scurried around the garden hunting for grubs and worms. He wandered around for a bit, checking on the herbs that grew around the house before continuing on to his morning chores. 

Gathering eggs, milking the cow, and feeding the old donkey, Raymond, were second nature to him at this point. He'd been doing these things for all of his life. While he did find a quiet kind of joy in doing it, there remained a spark in his bright mind, a tiny flicker that said there was something more waiting for him in the wider world. He was clever and he was ambitious. As much as he loved his home and his mother, he knew that there was a kind of magic out there just waiting for him to discover it. 

"Ah, Severus, there you are!" his mother said when he went back into the cottage, gently placing the eggs in a bowl on the counter. 

"Yes, mum," he smiled at her. "Just gathering the eggs and talking to Raymond."

"Well, I dare say you'll get better conversation out of him than most of the men in this town," she said cheerfully. "Help me with this, love?" she asked, getting ready to lift a heavy iron cauldron off the fire.

After they'd gotten it out of the heat and onto the stone hearth, she began ladling the mixture into little clay pots. Getting the ointment out of the cauldron before it cooled was key. Otherwise it would be too thick and even cleaning the cauldron out would become a dreadful chore. 

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me tomorrow, Severus?" she asked as she ladled. "It's sure to be more interesting than hanging around here."

Severus considered it. It wasn't that he particularly wanted to stay behind while his mother went to market in the next village over. It was a much larger town and would certainly be more stimulating than being at home would be. But someone had to take care of the animals and he really didn't trust anyone that he knew to do as good a job with them as he did. Plus, it would be good for one of them to be there, just in case anyone needed them. 

"It's fine, mum," he said. "I really don't mind. I'll probably just spend the whole time reading."

Placing her hand on his cheek, she looked up at him, her dark eyes shining. "You're a good boy, Severus. You deserve so much more than this, and one day you're going to find it. I just know it!"

Eileen Snape was the village midwife. She made potions to ease labor pains and to help women with their monthly cycles and to stop unwanted pregnancies. She made balms to heal cracked nipples caused by overly enthusiastic babies and to soften skin as it rapidly stretched to accommodate new life. She had delivered every baby in this village and many outside of it. With Eileen, women received the best care they could hope for, so she was widely known even in surrounding villages. 

Severus was nearly as capable in midwifery as she was. He had always been rather effeminate himself and he didn't mind the stigma that went along with their work. Some women were hesitant to come to him with their problems, which he found understandable considering that he did not possess the body parts that would allow him to really relate with them, but generally once they spoke with him, his obvious proficiency and low soothing voice won them over. 

Of course, everyone still thought he and Eileen were both exceedingly strange. They simply didn't mind coming to them when they needed something.

It was no matter, though. Severus shuddered to think what he'd be like if he actually fit in with the dull villagers. 

◇○◇○◇○◇

Early the next morning, Severus helped his mother load up the wagon with bundles of herbs, pots of ointment, and vials of medicine, ensuring that everything was neat and secure and unlikely to be damaged on the bumpy ride. He hitched Raymond up to the wagon, then stood back as his mother prepared to leave. 

"Take care of yourself, my love," she said, hugging him tightly. "I'll see you in just a few days." 

Smiling down at her, he ran his fingers through her rich dark hair. "I'll be fine, mum. I'm not the one going somewhere."

Raising her heavy black eyebrows, she said, "You never know when adventure might find you, Severus." Her black eyes, so like his own, glittered brightly at him, then she climbed up onto the wagon. Clicking her tongue to get Raymond moving, she blew him a kiss and the wagon began rolling down the rocky path. 

After he had watched her disappear into the woods, he turned back to their house. He quickly finished his chores, then went inside, feeling slightly unnerved by the silence. He was so used to her being home, always bustling around, brewing potions or cooking or helping someone.  _ I suppose I'll go to the village then,  _ he thought. He had told his mother he was planning to read while she was gone, so going to town would serve the purpose of getting him out of the quiet house and of getting him a new book to read. 

Pulling his sleek black hair into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, he slipped on a pair of shoes, wiggling his toes uncomfortably. He never wore shoes if he could help it, but he didn't dare walk around town without them. Who knew what he might step in on the narrow streets there? 

As he walked to town, his mind never stopped moving. He thought about the wider world around him. He'd rarely been outside of the little town he'd grown up in but he knew that, if he ever wanted to find peace, he'd have to. 

The villagers around him stared and muttered amongst themselves as he passed them. He knew that they found him strange, but did they really need to be so obvious about it? 

"Look at his nose! Have you ever seen one so large?" "Well, it's no surprise… his name means severe. And with a face like that, you can tell it suits him." "Is he even a boy at all? Seems more like a girl to me."

His cheeks grew pink at their comments, but he continued on with his head held high. He was aware that he wasn't attractive by conventional standards. Neither was his mother and he looked quite like her; he still found her beautiful in her own way though. And honestly, what business was it of theirs if he sometimes wore her clothes and sometimes his own and sometimes a mash-up of the two? He only had himself to please. They weren't even trying to conceal their disdain for him, though, and it was a bit disheartening. How he longed for something more than this. 

In the distance, he could hear a rifle being fired followed by loud whooping.  _ I had better hurry _ , he thought.  _ The boys will be back soon to show off their game. _

Quickening his pace a bit, he finally reached the book shop, dodging a group of gossiping girls along the way. He ducked inside, closing the door behind him, and breathed in the smell of paper and ink. 

"Hey, Severus!" the auburn haired girl who ran the shop exclaimed. 

"Hi, Lily," he replied. Lily was his one and only friend, aside from Raymond and his mother. Like him, she seemed to understand what it was like to find this little town stifling. She’d used her drive for a better life to open up a bookshop, hoping to expand the minds of these backward people, or at least to have plenty of books to escape into when it got to be too much. With her bubbly personality, running the shop suited her perfectly. 

"So, did you come in looking for something or did you just want to see me?" she laughed, batting her eyelashes teasingly. 

"Mum's gone out of town, so I was hoping to find something to read," he said. "I shouldn't stay long, though. I think Potter's coming back this way soon."

James Potter made Severus extremely uncomfortable. He was never quite certain if the man wanted to punch him or sleep with him but, either way, he was very uninterested. 

"Oh, Sev," Lily gently scolded him. "James is harmless. I wish you'd get over your weird grudge against him."

"I don't have a grudge, Lily!" he spat. "I simply have no wish to be around him. He's a tosser."

"Well, I can agree with that much, at least," she quipped. "Here, since you're in a hurry, I think I've got just the thing for you." Her green eyes lit up as they always did when she had a book to share. "I just finished it and I think you'll love it! It's full of far off places, daring sword fights, a prince in disguise..."

Severus looked back at her calculatingly. "It sounds alright," he said evasively. In all honesty, it sounded like exactly what he needed: a good fantasy that he could get carried away in. But he couldn't very well seem overly eager about something so simple. "How much is it?"

She laughed brightly, the sound like tinkling bells. "Just take it, Sev. You'll thank me, I promise."

Clutching the book to his chest, he replied, "I already am, Lils. Thank you!" He would thank her even if he hated the book, which wasn't likely; she knew him well. He was just grateful to have at least one person outside of his own house that he could talk freely with. "If you get a chance, stop by sometime," he implored. "It would be nice to have more time."

"I'll try!" she said, ushering him out the door. "You'd better get going, though. I can hear them coming now." 


	2. Chapter 2

On the outskirts of town, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew stalked through the woods. James was a simple man, a manly man. Virile and brave, he loved sex, he loved to hunt, and he thrived on the attention and admiration of those around him. And admire him, they did. 

Peter was a glowing example of said admiration. He was Potter's most devoted follower, a disciple of sorts, always gazing up at him in wonder for James Potter was all that Peter knew he could never be. Tall and strong, a sharp smirk and careless hair, Peter loved James and he would do anything to be able to bask in James' glowing aura.

"Be quiet, Pete!" James admonished. "You'll scare him away, stomping around like that. 

"Sorry, James," Peter whined. "I'm just so hungry!"

Sighing, James relented. "Fine, we'll stop here. But eat quietly, yeah? Maybe he'll come closer if we're not following him."

They had been out since before dawn following a deer, a big one judging by the glimpses they'd gotten of him. James knew that if he could bag that deer, he was going to do something crazy, something wonderful. It would be his greatest accomplishment yet, and there were quite a lot of accomplishments to choose from. He squatted down on the ground, his back against a tree, tense and ready to jump up and shoot if the buck happened to come near.

Peter plopped down beside him and pulled several sandwiches out of his bag. James waved him off when he offered one, so he shrugged and proceeded to eat them all himself. His watery blue eyes were wide and never left James.

"Why are you staring at me?" he snapped after a moment. 

"I was just wondering what you're going to do if you get this one?" he whispered, a few wet crumbs clinging to the corners of his mouth. "You got a celebration planned?"

Slowly, James smirked. He did, in fact, have a celebration planned. "I'm going to make Severus Snape marry me," he responded confidently. 

"Snape!?" Peter shouted. "Oh, sorry. Snape??" he whispered. "But you could have anyone you want. Why him?" 

"Because he's the one I want," James said simply, his tone leaving no doubt that he was used to getting what he wanted. James' affection for Snape was genuine, though his attitudes and methods left much to be desired. He saw in Severus Snape a wild kind of beauty, a spark of something different. He liked the irreverent way that he disregarded conventions, the stoic look in his dark eyes. He wanted to possess him, to devour him, to profess his undying affection. "He intrigues me," James said finally. "He's not an idiot like everyone else in this town."

"Hey!" Peter whined. He was part of the town and not an idiot, thank you very much. 

"Shut up! Look!" James ignored him, pointing to the left. The deer stood there in all its glory, staring at them skittishly, ready to run at the slightest provocation. Quick as a wink, James' gun was in his hand. He aimed true and fired.

"Whooop!" Peter squealed as the deer fell to the ground, the shot landing squarely in his shoulder. "You got him, James! You're the best!"

"I know!" James laughed. "Just call me Prongs, my dear Peter. I'm the master of all the deer!"

"Plus you've got a big dick," Peter said, giggling. 

"That too," James said absently, wondering what on earth that had to do with anything. He shrugged. It was true, regardless. "Bring that deer, Pete. Let's head back to town."

He turned then and began marching back to town, Peter struggling behind him under the weight of the 12-point buck. 

As Peter huffed along behind James, he asked, "Why don't you get Lily Evans instead of Snape? She's smart too, and she's pretty!"

"Have you seen Severus?" James asked incredulously. "He'll be so grateful to land someone like me that he'll do anything I want him to. Plus, she's so bubbly. I like how he's always snapping at me. He'll be fun to break in." He had a malicious gleam in his hazel eyes that would have made even Peter nervous had he been able to see him. 

As it was, Peter just nodded and trudged along behind his friend. He had learned long ago that it did no good to argue with James Potter. He was skeptical though; he didn't think Snape would be quite as easy to push around as James seemed to think. 

◇○◇○◇○◇

The center of town was bustling at this time of day.  _ Perfect, _ James thought.  _ Now everyone gets to see me.  _ After a beat, his grin grew wider. "Look who's here waiting for me, Pete!" Severus Snape was walking down the cobblestone street, a book clutched in his pale hands.

Peter just groaned and panted. "Oh, sorry. That guy's pretty heavy, huh?" James said, glancing back at his sweaty friend and the large buck draped across his shoulders. "Just take him back to my place, yeah?" he said absently, running his hands over his chest to make sure his shirt was straight before advancing toward Snape.

He darted around the fountain in the center of town, then hurried around it to cut Snape off. "Hey, Severus!" he grinned lecherously and pulled the book out of his hands. "What 'ya reading?"

"What do you want, Potter?" Severus gave him a hard look. 

"Aw, don't be like that, Sevvy," he said, flipping through the pages then tossing the book aside. There weren't even any pictures. "I just wanted to see you!"

Severus picked his book up and dusted it off. "And I didn't want to see you. You can run off now," he snapped. "I think you have some poor animal to cut apart."

"You noticed!" he answered brightly. "That pretty deer is going to be our wedding feast, you know. We'll hang the head in our dining room, right behind my chair." He put a calloused hand on Severus' face only to have it immediately shoved away.

"Fuck off, James," Severus warned.

Frowning slightly, he said, "You're right, of course. I'm sure you want to wash your hair and freshen up before we talk about all that." He wrinkled his nose at Snape's dingy clothes. "Maybe put on one of your mum's skirts. I think I like you best like that."

Narrowed dark eyes stared back at him flatly, then Snape pushed past him, knocking his narrow shoulder into James' broad one. 

"Good boy," James called after him in a taunting tone. "I'll see you later, Sev!"

The only response he got was Severus flicking him two fingers as he walked away. Oh well, he shrugged. He had known he was picking a fiesty one and he was perfectly fine with putting in the work. The reward, he thought as he pictured Snape's tight arse, would be worth it. 

◇○◇○◇○◇

Severus stalked back home, his pace quick.  _ James Potter is a wanker of the highest order _ , he thought angrily.  _ A pillock, a bloody knob. Had I wanted to see him, I'd have called out 'maggot.' _ He kept up a constant stream of ranting insults the entire way home and he had to admit that he did feel better about the whole encounter by the time he had gotten home and slipped off his blasted shoes. Or maybe it was simply the lack of shoes that made him feel better. 

He didn't even want to consider what Potter had been talking about with the deer and the wedding feast. He'd have to have absolutely lost the plot to ever consider marrying one James Potter. What would even give James such a stupid idea?  _ He must have been taking the piss,  _ Severus finally decided. There was no reason at all for it to be anything more than that. 

He sat down heavily in his mum's porch rocking chair, book in hand, ready for the escape that Lily had promised him. 

_ Plus _ , his traitorous mind provided,  _ Potter is bound to want a whole brood of little brats, clones of himself running around terrorizing the village.  _ No amount of skirts or midwifery knowledge would give Severus the ability to produce children and he was grateful for that. He'd seen exactly what women had to go through to bring their offspring into this wretched world. He wanted no further part of that. So, of course, Potter was taking the piss. 

Having reached a logical conclusion regarding that frankly disturbing encounter with Potter, he finally felt ready to crack open his new book. He ran his bare feet over the floor boards as he gently rocked. His head lay back against the chair and he lost track of time as he disappeared into the wonderful world of adventure that Lily had given to him. 

◇○◇○◇○◇

A few hours later, Severus was torn away from his book by a loud ruckus coming up the hill toward his cottage. He marked his spot and put the book down in annoyance; he'd been at a particularly good spot and didn't fancy quitting right now. Who would be coming to see him in such a noisy fashion anyway?

The closer to him the noise got, the more certain he was that it was not someone, but an entire group of people. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw James Potter's messy head crest the hill, followed by his ever-present goon, Pettigrew, and a number of other people as well. There were women carrying baskets and the band from the pub and… was that the minister? 

_ Sweet Jesus, _ Severus thought as he took in the ridiculous red suit that James was wearing. He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation.  _ You have got to be kidding me.  _

James walked up to Severus, the bright smile falling from his dumb, handsome face and ran a hand through his already tousled hair. "I thought you were going to get ready, Sev!" he whispered frantically. "Everyone is here!"

Giving him a dry look in return, Severus hissed, "I'm not sure what you were thinking with all of this, you utter imbecile!" He stood up, slamming his book down on his vacated chair. "I never agreed to marry you! I'm quite certain that you never asked and, if you were to, the answer would be absolutely not!"

A malicious gleam crept into James' hazel eyes. "Come on, Sev," he said in a patronizing tone. "You know you couldn't do better than me. It'll be great. You'll take care of the house and the kids and…"

Severus cut him off at that. He was utterly delusional! "In case you hadn't noticed, James Potter, I am a man. I can't have any children with you, even if I wanted to, and I absolutely don't."

James' smirk grew. "Hmm, probably not, but we could practice. And I'm sure your little red-headed friend would be willing to donate some time for you. She'd probably even let you watch."

_ Oi. Not delusional then _ , Snape thought.  _ Just a disgusting pervert. _

For the second time that day, he shoved past Potter, not even stopping to laugh at the way he'd fallen in the mud in his fine red suit. There would be time to laugh at that later. "I apologize, everyone," he called to the confused crowd that had gathered in his garden. "There has been a bit of a misunderstanding. Had I known I was supposed to be marrying Potter today, I'd have faked my death to avoid all of this."

A few people chuckled awkwardly, though most of them looked annoyed. He heard some muttering about how Potter could do better which he was certain was not true – he couldn't imagine a rat that deserved the likes of James Potter – but he decided he'd be grateful if James thought so. Anything to get the creep away from him would be welcome. 

The crowd began to disburse until only James, Severus, and Peter were left standing there, Peter looking terribly sheepish and James looking terribly muddy. Finally Severus was able to take a good look at him and laugh. 

He cackled harder than he could remember ever doing while James' face got redder and redder. "You might want to go clean yourself up, Potter. Seems I'm not the only one looking less than presentable here," he said. That said, he marched into the house, slamming the door behind him, still laughing loudly. 

He waited until he'd seen them walk away, James looking stormy and Peter following faithfully behind him, before going to retrieve his book. The sun had begun to creep down in the sky and he thought he should probably fix something for dinner before taking care of the animals. He had skipped lunch, after all, and owning Potter as he had done had given him a rather healthy appetite. 

◇○◇○◇○◇

Hours later, Severus was curled up in the house reading by the glow of the fire, a warm mug of chamomile tea by his side. His belly was full and his book was good, the house was warm and comfortable. Overall, it had been a great day and Severus was satisfied.

Suddenly, a loud noise outside startled him from his peaceful reverie. Jumping up, he pulled the door open wide then cried out, "Raymond!" The old donkey stood there looking frantic, still hitched to the cart, Eileen nowhere to be seen.

Severus didn't even pause to slip on his shoes. Slamming the door behind him, he ran to Raymond and unhitched the cart as quickly as possible. He left it standing there on the grass, herbs and medicines still packed neatly inside, and climbed into Raymond's back. 

"Take me to mum, Raymond," he pleaded, running his fingers over the donkey's coarse fur. Raymond brayed back, then took off at a trot, as swift as he was capable of, heading not toward town, but into the darkest part of the woods. 

"What was mum thinking, coming this way?" Severus wondered as dark branches brushed his face, shutting off the light of the moon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I keep going? What do you think? Please let me know!!


End file.
